Briquetting



April 13, 1954 I G. KOMAREK 2,675,304

BRIQUETTING Filed Aug. 4, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l Fig.1.

/27 0 {f f INVENTORI ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 13, 1954 BRIQUET'IIN GGustav Komarek, Chicago, Ill., asslgnor to Komarek-Greaves and Company,Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application August 4, 1950,Serial No. 177,756

This invention relates to the manufacture of nodules or briquettes,particularly useful as fuels. For instance, nodules or lu'iquettesranging from one twenty-fourth ounce to eight ounces in weight suitablefor stokers or shovel firing can be readily formed by this invention.

Y The primary object of the invention is to provide a briquette ornodule which is firm, hard and abrasion-resistant.

An equally important object of the invention is to produce a briquettewithout the use of, customary binders, reliance being had upon thenatural binders present, for example, in bituminous and semi-bituminouscoals and upon an improved method wherein the fuel particles areproduced in a form whereby, in the press, they are oriented to have anatural interlocking relationship.

Bituminous or semi-bituminous coals usually contain one or more fossilplant residues which have been identified as resins, pollen, and peatysubstances, 1. e., humus. I find that "these can be availed of to adherethe particles of the briquette or nodule without the necessity of theuse of extraneous binders. That is, bituminous coals contain in theirfossilized structure relics of plant life, that can be processed intobinding elements when the coal particles are subjected to a highlyconcentrated pressure. Such binders act as a mucilage within the nodulesor briquettes formed bythe rolls, and, assisted by the pressure, serveto bind the nodules or briquettes into firm, resistant bodies entirelysatisfactory for shipping, storage and combustion. ,Many of thesenatural binders are readily recognizable by well-known methods, amongwhich are the following:

(1) Humz'c tissue which has resisted the centuries of coal-formingprocesses.-Th is material, when it occurs during the application of myprocess, is hydrolyzed into a peaty paste and contributes to the bindingpower.

(2) Highly resinous plant remains-containing resin reservoirs or gumducts-These resins, or gums, are softened in the course of my processand distributed mechanically throughout the body of finely divided coalunder treatment.

(3) Pollen-In some coals, while there is no evidence of humic remainsnoryet of great quantity of resinous matter, analysis indicates thepresence of residual pollen. This forms an adhesive paste with water thecoal.

2 Claims. (01. 44- 10) An essential feature of the method of thisinvention consists in compacting and densifying the particles of thefuel mass whereby the same are deaerated and interstices between thelarger particles are filled with smaller sized particles and watercarrying one ormore of the above-men tioned natural binders. Also, thecompacting or densifying, which is conducted between closely fittingcorrugated rolls forms the particles into flake-like bodies having ashale-like structure, i. e., the briquette is substantially completelyformed of such particles without appreciable quantities of air or waterand the particles assume a natural arrangement in which they are tightlyinterlocked to enhance the action of the natural cementing agents.

For purposes of a more complete understanding of the invention I haveillustrated in the accompanying drawings a preferred apparatus forcarrying out the improved method which, how-- ever, may be carried outby other means.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view partly in section illustrating thecomplete method;

7 Figure 2 is an end view. in elevation of one of the densifying rolls;I

Figure 3 is a sectional View of one of the densifying rollstaken on line33 of Figure 2 Figure 4 is an elevation of one of the densifying rollspartly broken away; and

Figure 5 illustrates in detail the manner in which the corrugations ofthe rotating densifying rolls are so closely related that the fuelparticles are formed as flake-like bodies.

In carrying out the invention and referring particularly to Figure 1,combustible materials or fuel, notably, coal of bituminous,semi-bituminous and semi-anthracite varieties which has been previouslybroken up, and dried, is suitably fed to the hopper or bin 10. It isacritical feature ofthis invention that the moisture content of the coalfed to the bin [0 should not be above about 3%, and preferably isbetween about 1% and 2%. The coal is dried at temperatures up to about200 F. tothe aforesaid free moisture content, and then at a temperaturefrom normal atmospheric F.) to about F. and the moisture contentindicated, is delivered to the bin; The presence of acritical amount offree water precludes loss of small coal particles in about to 12% willbe ground to extreme fineness of colloidal size of about one-half micronup to 200 mesh. It is in the smaller size fractions of the mass that thebinder-making ingredients will be found, namely, the humus,

resins and pollen. Following the hammer mill operation and as anoptional step, the coal may besubjected to a rolling between plain rollsif. I

the hammer mill grinding does not produce .fine enough granules. Somecoals require greater fineness than others, i. e., the hard coalsrequire greater fineness.

It is desirable that the 'maximum particle size after comminutionin thehammer mill or hammer mill and plain rolls be no greater than 100 mesh,but a mesh size as coarse as mesh may be used in this invention withsome coals. The coal body is composed of various elements of varyinghardness. The effect of the intense comniinution in the hammer mill isto divide into the coarser size (100111881). or thereaboutl the :1

harder mineralize d coal elements, i. e., vitrain, durain, and hardcomponents of the ash, while the softer elements, when present, i. e.,fusain,

resins, humio matter, pollen, etc. are by the same action comminutedinto much smaller particlesfrom 200 mesh down to the colloidal and nearcolloidal sizes. These small sizes are picked up by thewatenmechanically, and without chemical action, in the case of the gumsand resins,

and, in the case of-the humic bodies and pollen, hydrolyzed into pastes."Ehis intense grinding action also serves most thoroughly to mix thefine water-carried particles amid and among the coarser harderparticles. There is thus evolved an efficient binding material fromvegetable residues in the'coal bodyr From the hammer mill 12 the coaldrops into a conventional surge hopper I3 which is a chamber having bothends open. Through the bottom open end of the surge bin the broken fuelparticles are delivered directly to the bight of a pair of rotatingcompacting and densifying rolls !5 which are shown in detailin Figures 2to 5. These rolls have intermeshing corrugated surfaces l6,asillustratedin Figures 2 and 5, and-are distinguished from plain,pro-compression rolls heretofore used. The corrugated rolls l5 do exerta direct grinding pressure, as is the case with plain rolls, but, asillustrated in Figure 5, inaddition, simultaneously exert a compactingand deaerating effect by twisting, compressing and forming the particlesas small flake-like bodies after the manner of shale formation.Theimportant result of this treatment and one which is absolutelynecessary to produce a firm, hard and a brasion-resistant briquette isthe unusually complete deaeration which is obtained.

As the coal is introduced to the bight of the corrugated rolls IE, itis'preferably, although not necessarily, subjected to steam having atemperature from atmospheric up to about 300 F., the steam beingintroduced through suitable nozzles H. This steam facilitates thedensification and deaeration in that the steam further assists indrivingout the air. A g.

The coal from the deaerating and compacting rolls i5 is discharged intoa column I8 and this coal, as explained, is in the form of smallflakelike bodies having the form of a shalefied structure. The shalefiedbodies. are of about onefourth to one-eighth inch in thickness and maybe of various areas.

Stated another way, the treatment in the intermeshing corrugated rolls,as distinguished from plain rolls, takes the ground coal in which therewere millions of voids and produces a flaked product wherein the numberof voids, relatively speaking, are reduced to hundreds. The use of thesteam in the densifying action is optional but preferable sineeit adds asmall amount of mois- 'ture to enhance the carrying efiect of theoriginal moisture of the coal in dispersing the natural binders and,also in replenishing moisture which may have become lost. Moreover, thesteam excludes air, as stated above, and in connection with the naturalbinders, such as humus and pollen, renders them more effectivechemically to exert their adhesive action.

' In the column I8 the shalefied particles build up, as indicated inFigure 1, upon the conveyor structure 19. This conveyor structure islocated at the bottom of the column and comprises two screw conveyorsforming pressure feeders disposed in opposed relation which operate todi rect the fuel centrally so that it may pass from the column throughthe slot or discharge opening 2t disposed over the bight of a pair ofbriquetting rolls '2 i. The chamber or column it may have any desiredheight, about twenty to forty inches being satisfactory, and the flakesare fed to the column at a temperature from atmospheric up to 300 F.,depending upon whether or not steam is injected through the nozzle Hinto the fuel supplied to the pre-compression or densifying corrugatingrolls iii. The column I8 preferably extends about thirty inches abovethe screw feed l9 and, as explained, the delivery opening 29 of theconveyor structure is disposed so as to deliver the particles directlyinto the bight of the briquette rolls 2! of the press.

Referring to Figure 1, it will be appreciated that the rotation of therolls iii of the press not only bights into the fuel delivered from theopening 20 of the column l8, but, as I have found, exerts an upwardpressure on the body of fuel delivered through the opening 253. Theprovision of the column is substantially prevents objectional extrusionof the coal upwardly because a portion 22 of the fuel in the columnlsalways remains substantially static. This forms a dense head of coalwhich exerts a pressure directly upon the portion of fuel 23 deliveredto the center of the column by the conveyor structure 59, i. e.,directly over the delivery opening 20 and the bight of the briquetterolls 2|. In other words, the relatively more dense column or head offuel 22 above the delivery outlet opening 20 constantly resists theupward pressure exerted by the briquette rolls and causes the coal topass uniformly opposed conveyors l9 downwardly into the bight. of thebriquetting rolls and, at the same time,

the presence of this head excludes air fromthe particles fed to the.press. 5

If desired, .and it is usually, preferable, steam at a temperature ofabout 200'? F. to 300 F. is introduced 'tothe coal in the column throughnozzles or jets. 24. Thissteamhas theeiie'ct of further eliminating air,.and of rendering the natural binders more immediately-active to adherethe particles in the briquetting rolls. The use of live steam at about50 p. s. i. boiler pressure is further important in that it brings thecoal to a good pressing temperature, eliminates the tendency to "clamshelling and also reduces dusting.

That the coal has been substantially deaerated is definitely indicatedby the complete lack of explosive and cracking noises during briquettingor nodulizing in the press rolls 2|. Normally, in the briquettingoperation noises are produced resembling machine gun fire. This iseliminated by the use of the intermeshing corrugated rolls of thepre-compression densifying and compacting step, and by the provision ofthe column l8 which provides for delivery to the briquette rolls 2! of aconstant dense deairifled body of particles.

Furthermore, whereas the coal fed from the densifier to the chamber orcolumn l8 had the voids reduced to hundreds, as indicated above, thebriquettes produced from the flake-like particles, as described above,are substantially free of voids. Moreover, in the briquettes, theparticles are arranged in natural interlocking positions whereby thebriquette is hard throughout the particles are tightly bonded, not onlyby natural binders, but also by the interlocking of the particles.

The briquetting operation may utilize any suitable briquettingmachinery, but, preferably, the operation is conducted with highpressure rolls, namely, a pressure of 20,000 pounds to 30,000 pounds p.s. i. The ability to form satisfactory briquettes and nodules, withoutextraneous binders, in a roll-type press constitutes a new departure inthe art of briquetting. The resultant briquettes are firm, hard andabrasion-resistant. Where the natural binding agent in the nodules orbriquettes consists largely of resins, the product grows stronger instorage, in much the same manner as linseed oil increases in strengthwith age and exposure.

Referring to Figure l, a flat bar 25 is positioned between the briquetterolls 2|, in the nip thereof, the purpose of which is to prevent twogreat a quantity of coal from being compressed between the rolls. Asindicated, the bar is situated above the medium line or axis of therolls and extends across the face width of the rolls.

As shown in Figure 1, the briquetting rolls are rotatably mounted in ahousing 26 and the briquettes, as formed, drop upon a travellingconveyor 21 of any suitable character to discharge the briquettes to asuitable location.

The entire operation from the star feeder II to the conveyor 2'! iscarried out under air tight conditions, and one or more air outlets orvents 28 are located in the closed system for instance, at the hammermill, as shown.

Referring to Figure l, the entire apparatus is enclosed in an air tightcasing or chamber 30 having one or more air vents 28 with the parts invertical or superposed relation as shown. The bin l0, feeder H and millI2 may or may not be enclosed in the housing, the bin and feeder beingshown outside of the same and the mill within the housing 30. In anyevent, means of conventional character. are provided forcontinuously orintl'imittently supplying material to the bin I0 and it is thusdeliveredby gravity to the other instrumentalities within the casing 30.The surge hopper portion I3 of the casing forms a passage or conduit formaterial from the mill 12 to the corrugated rolls l5and the column 18forms a passage for material from the rolls IE to the press 2|. It willbe noted that the parts are preferably positioned in vertical alignment,the bights of the rolls l5 and 2| and the opening in the passage orcolumn I8 being in substantial alignment as shown The rolls 2| havemating briquette or nodule forming recesses 3| in their surfaces and theformed briquettes are shown at 32 which are removed away from the rollsby the conveyor 21 also located in the chamber 30 as shown.

The rotatable corrugated rolls I5 having intermeshing surfaces are shownin detail in Figures 2 to 5. Each roll is preferably cast as completeroll sections 33 shown in Figure 3 with corrugated surfaces 56 andconnected together by transversely extending bolts, rivets or othersuitable means 34 as shown in Figure 4 inwardly of the corrugatedsurfaces of the rolls. Wear and guard rings 35 are secured to theexposed end or side of each section 33 by bolts 36 as shown. The centralbearings 31 of the sections are transversely spaced apart as shown inFigures 3 and 4 and each is provided with a key-way 31' in transverselyaligned relation whereby each of the rolls may be keyed to a rotatingshaft 318 shown in Figure 1. The various instrumentalities are driven inany suitable manner to provide a continuous or intermittent operation.

It is desirable with some types of coal to use wet binders. In suchcases, lower briquetting pressures are employed. By wet binders is meantbinders which are melted or melted and mixed in the presence of steam,i. e., the binder is made fluid so as to coat the coal particles. Talloil or tall oil pitch in small percent is used, namely, one-half of 1%up to 3% on the dry weight of the coal. These binders are introduced andmixed with the fuel in the surge hopper or into the column !8 below therolls [5 by any suitable means.

Also, binders, can be used which need not be the type requiring melting,in which event, the binder is mixed in with the coal before it is fed tothe hammer mill. Pulverant binders of this type are coal tar pitch,petroleum asphalt, dry sulfite liquor, dry starch, etc. and molasses maybe used also.

I claim:

l. The process of forming briquettes and nodules which comprises passingcoal particles of about 30 to 200 mesh size containing natural fossilplant residues and having a free moisture content not in excess of about3% through intermeshing corrugated rolls and thereby deaerating,densifying and forming the particles into flakelike shalefied bodies,and compressing masses of the bodies between rolls into briquettes.

2. The process of forming briquettes and nodules which comprises passingcoal particles of about 30 to 200 mesh size containing natural fossilplant residues and having a free moisture content not in excess of about3% through intermeshing corrugated rolls and thereby deaerating,densifying and forming the particles into flakelike shalefied bodies,forming the bodies in a vertical column having a portion thereofconstantly more highly densified and deaerated and thereby creating ahead, delivering the bodies from the ammaoa column directly td a pressat a point beneath and Number! under pressure exerted by said head, andcom- 1,493,667 pressing masses of the bodies between rolls into1,987,358 briquettes. Y 2,016,639 7 5 2,162,989 4 References Citedmv'the file of 121115 patent. 2,234,644 V UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,236, 1Number Name Date 3 874,167 Crow 4-, Dec. 17, 1907 932,041 MatthewsAug.24,1909 Number 1,347361 "Bibb July 20, 1920 501 049 Komark Sept. 26,1922 Name 1 v Date Diers 4......; May 13, 1924 Bonnet 9.- Jan. 8, 1935Komarek 1 1.. Oct. 8, 1935 V Zwoyer eta1..1- June 20, 1939 Herglotz m.11 Mar. 11,1941 Herglutz... Mar. 25, 1941 Hummel 9 Oct 13, 1942 FOREIGNPATENTS Country 7 V 7 Date France w. ,.1v 1 Jan. 15, 1929

1. THE PROCESS OF FORMING BRIQUETTES AND NODULES WHICH COMPRISES PASSINGCOAL PARTICLES OF ABOUT 30 TO 200 MESH SIZE CONTAINING NATURAL FOSSILPLANT RESIDUES AND HAVING A FREE MOISTURE CONTENT NOT IN EXCESS OF ABOUT3% THROUGH INTERMESHING CORRUGATED ROLLS AND THEREBY DEAERATING,DENSIFYING AND FORMING THE PARTICLES INTO FLAKELIKE SHALEFIED BODIES,AND COMPRESSING MASSES OF THE BODIES BETWEEN ROLLS INTO BRIQUETTES.